Don't throw good money at a bad faucet

Q: You seem to be the voice of reason when it comes to plumbing problems. My wife and I have a bathroom faucet (about 5 years old) that came with the house when we bought it new, and recently it has started to drip. I called my plumber, and he said I was better off to have him install a new, high-quality faucet. He went on to say that the labor costs would be about the same, and the extra money I spend in materials would be a better investment than doing a repair job. I know it is not a fancy faucet, but can this be true? Or am I getting a song-and-dance from this plumber?

— Bruce, Iowa

A: Keep in mind that when most contractors build standard new homes, unless the future homeowner requests and pays for a plumbing-fixture upgrade, chances are that baseline faucets will be installed rather than more expensive high-end faucets. No offense to the contractors; they are simply trying to keep the job in budget. So, what your plumber has probably figured out from past experience is that, in most cases, it does make sense to change out an older low-end faucet than to repair one. Now don't get confused here; quality high-end, well-known, brand-name faucets are designed to last a very long time. Also, big-name faucet companies keep their distributors supplied with factory repair kits, so finding parts is usually not a big deal. What we are talking about here is a basic baseline faucet that has failed.

Years ago, when faucets were installed with hard chrome pipes and metal mounting nuts that rusted in place, it was a big job to remove the old faucet and install a new faucet with hard piping. Back then, repairing a fairly new faucet was an easier option regardless of the faucet quality.

You can now buy high-end quick-install faucets that actually have a special fast-mount bracket instead of nuts, and built-in, flexible water-supply tubes. Quick-install faucets can usually be installed in less than an hour from start to finish. The installer simply has to show up with the new faucet, remove the old faucet, mount and connect the flex water lines, and the job is done. Plus, you now have a high-end faucet in your home. Compare that with showing up to the job, troubleshooting the old faucet, tracking down the parts, disassembling the old faucet and putting everything back together again, hoping it works. All this work and you still have a contractor-grade faucet that may be prone to failure.

Q: I could use some good plunging tips. My toilet clogs often, and many times when I try to plunge it, it seems to make the problem worse. Please help!

— Betty, California

A: First, I would have your toilet and drain line checked to find what's causing constant clogging. A properly adjusted toilet with a clean drain will not usually clog up. The fact that you have a chronic problem tells me that something may be wrong, or you could have one of those early-'90s water-saving toilets that simply cannot handle "big" jobs with one flush. Either way, you may want to upgrade to the newly designed high-efficiency and high-powered toilets of today.

As far as plunging tips, I always had the best luck by "pulling" the plunger instead of "pushing." Slowly push in to let the air out of the cup to create suction, and then pull back sharply. As good as this tip works, I'd still advise you to take the plunge and buy a new toilet.

Master Contractor/Plumber Ed Del Grande is known as the author of the book "Ed Del Grande's House Call" and for hosting TV shows on Scripps Networks and HGTVPro.com. For information visit eddelgrande.com or write eddelgrande@hgtvpro.com. Always consult local contractors and codes.